Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-02-26

mlSunoorotAndtng, you had better read this
He handed Auzu ,tus . letter which b
bad been holding open between his fngera
Augustus took the document without q
word, and read a. follows:
'.o79 LINcoLN's I'M FrELDa
sD1AR RErA1x8R: 1t was q coincidence,
and nothing mora Iput In tho name Of
Smith myself, and nv conf .ential clerh
added an address-the first that occurred to
him. know nothing Of the Mr.. Johu
Smith you refer 70, neither does he 1t wa
SYours very truly, II. r TAPE"
N harm IL done. ~ M. Taps says" said
1r. Retainer, ~ Augu .lus. looking stupidity
perpexed, han led back the letter to him.
II don't quite understand" murmured
Augustus, though b perceived vel. enough
that there had been Q fatal mistake some
whore.
~ Is very simple" explained Mr.. r.
tainer. "A client Of Messrs Tape & Parch
msnt's-a gentleman Well known in society
but rather eccentr;c-yave instructions f..
his will, but expressly asked that IL nigh,
be drawn under q fictitious name, SO tn,
clerks and OH r persons through who's
hands the draft might pass should not BIZ
able to identify him with the tes,ator. l,
was Al odd p%recaution. and I must say
added Mr.. Retainer, looking severely q,
Augustus, that thought ut the time /
was almost insulting. However, the re,un
il that non but the confidential CLERK
who enRrossed the will for signature Is ii
the secret"
Il understood you to say that you knew
all about the testator," cried Augustus
beside himself with vexation and disap
pointment
$50 I did. The secret was confded Il
me" said Mr.. Retainer. sHad you men
toned that you know . Mr.. John Smith, o:
the address given, I should havs been OF
my guard. But you merely said you know
tho adiresa"
u did not know him at the tims,' blurte'
out Augustus
He could have bitten his tongue CT tn
Instant after, for he saw be had bstraye
himself. Nj: Retainer, in . voice OF thun
der. orlere | HIM out Of the room, and Au
gustuA. overcome with humiliation and con
fusion. needsd no second bidding.
The prevailing sentiment which aRitate,
the bosom Of Augustus, when no came I,
c consider the situation. was a deep sense o
having boon cruelty wronged and deceived
The insinuation: Of Mr.. Brit lebone CO,
corning Mr.. Smi. his circumstance. had, a
We have seen, for . long time caused hin
uneaslness, and now that 1t had transp,ret
that the old gentleman was not the owne o
the property mentioned in that fatal will
Augustus had no difficulty In convinc,nI
hi nself that his rivals versioa was correc
NJ ,st u~nreasonablv he suspected p or Ara
bella anil her relatives Of having attempie,
to inveigle him into matrimony by fats
pre-. ences, md In his virtuous ind gnat,o
he id not pause to consider the inju>tic, o
the ch,rge. Acting upon the impulse q
the moment, no Immediately wro'e an
broke III the eng cement. using expression
Of repro ,ch and h,rshnes. ~hich poor Ara
bella had d ne nothing to deserve.
After this 1t was particularly CALLING I
Augustus to be condoled with for havin'
missed the hand Of an helress It ,urns
out. however, when too late to repair tn
hasty sop he had taken. that cd Mr.. Smith
though not fabulousIy wealthy, was COZ
tainiy rich enough to make q most desirabl
father-in-law. Before Augustus had rec
cred from the unp!easant shock Of this vex
atiou+ intel igencs. ne received q visit frou
Mr. B ittlebone. which resulted In his b
ing swathel In vinegar and b own pape
for several weeka. As = rev I'd, apparently
Tor his brutality, Mr.. Birthstone hal th
undeserved happiness OF leading Miss Ar,
t'ella to the alta !, but this was not until th
persecuted Augustus, in the unenv,able c
p.city Of defeh liant IN an action for breac
promise, had oeen mulc;ed In heavy dam
,gss. which enabled tho young couple I
start hand ,omely in business In the hard
ware line. Truth.